Last updated: October 2024
Planting Oxygen in the Community is an initiative initiated by the medical company Antibiotice S.A., one of the largest drug producing company in Romania, with headquarters in Iasi. The initiative involves an annual tree plantation campaign that has been carried out over the past four years. Originally implemented in cooperation with the municipality of Iași, the campaign is now independently managed by the medical company Antibiotice S.A. The selected planting area is located adjacent to the company headquarters in Iași and consists of undeveloped grassland. Throughout the campaign, a total of 1,175 trees and 6,000 shrubs have been planted, including species such as oaks, lindens, and maples. The initiative has engaged 310 volunteers from the company to assist with the planting efforts. The campaign aims to achieve several goals: rehabilitating green spaces, protecting the environment, reducing carbon emissions, mitigating the effects of climate change, and providing cleaner air for future generations. Additionally, it seeks to enhance the company’s environmental impact and foster social interaction among employees by reconnecting them with nature. (1-8)
Volunteers preparing terrain for planting
https://www.antibiotice.ro/noutati/plantam-oxigen-in-comunitate-2/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social interaction
- Sense of community and community engagement
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Deforestation and forest degradation
- Air pollution
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Disconnection from nature
- Poor community engagement
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces
Project objectives
1. Improve and protect the company's surrounding environment through several green activities that involve the company's employees (8).
2. Contribute to the creation of a sustainable society, which responds to the needs of the present without compromising future generations and send an alarm signal regarding the impact of air pollution
3. Contribute to climate change mitigation as tree planting is having an important role in absorbing and storing carbon dioxide.
4. Foster social connections, engagement and connection with nature for all those involved in the actions
5. Contribute to the decrease of local temperatures that might have negative effects on the health of the community and the environment where the company is located
(4,5,6,8)
Implementation activities
The initiative focused on rehabilitating the green spaces surrounding the company headquarters through four consecutive tree plantings between 2019 and 2023, which included species such as oaks, lindens, and maples, as well as various bush species. In total, 1,175 trees and 6,000 bushes were planted. The plantation efforts were carried out by 310 volunteer workers, which not only fostered social interaction but also provided them the opportunity to reconnect with nature. To ensure the saplings reach their full maturity, regular care is provided, including necessary watering, allowing them to maximize their potential as effective CO2 absorbers. (2-8)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The company Antibiotice has been the main initiatior in the four stages of plantation, encouraging workers to volunteer on the plantation and providing the land (1 to 8). The municipality of Iasi provided the first saplings and agreed to ensure that the species reach full maturity (3).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Strategia Integrata de Dezvoltare Urbana (2015-2030) (Integrated Urban Development Strategy) Iasi (10). )
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)
Financing
Total cost
€100,000 - €500,000
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of goods
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Reduced emissions
- Expected reduced emissions
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Expected improved air quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Andrei, A. (2019 ). Noi spații verzi la Antibiotice și zone de picnic în C.A. Rosetti ». APIX, Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Antibiotice S.A. (n.d.). Plantăm oxigen în comunitate - Antibiotice. Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Primaria Iasi (2019 ). HOTĂRÂRE privind aprobarea Acordului de Parteneriat între Municipiul Iași și Antibiotice S.A.. Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Antibiotice S.A. (2022). Raport-anual-2021 Antibiotice S.A.. p. 129. Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Antibiotice S.A. (2023). Raport Anual 2022 Antibiotice S.A. . p. 29 Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Hriscu, B. (2022). Voluntarii Antibiotice au plantat 200 de arbori în cadrul proiectului de responsabilitate socială „Plantăm oxigen în comunitate”. News Moldova , Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility (2022). Antibiotice Iași a investit în 2022 peste 900.000 de lei în proiecte pentru comunități – ECSR. Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Antibiotice S.A. (n.d.). Plantăm oxigen în comunitate - AntibioticeAntibiotice. Accessed on September 4, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Populatia RO (n.d.). Populația Comunei Valea Lupului, Jud. Iași - 2023 _ Populatia.ro. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Primaria Municipiului Iasi (2015). Strategia Integrata de Dezvoltare Urbana 2015-2030. Accessed on September 25, 2024, [Source link];
Volunteers preparing terrain for planting
https://www.antibiotice.ro/noutati/plantam-oxigen-in-comunitate-2/
Plantam oxigen
https://www.antibiotice.ro/noutati/plantam-oxigen-in-comunitate/
Plantam oxigen
https://www.antibiotice.ro/noutati/plantam-oxigen-in-comunitate/
Plantam oxigen
https://www.antibiotice.ro/noutati/plantam-oxigen-in-comunitate/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.